Chasing the Chatwalk
by Inkkerfuffle
Summary: Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

This was all Alya's fault.

 _Sure,_ Project Runway was a favorite show of hers, and she hadn't missed a season. But when the auditions for the French version began, Marinette Dupain Cheng had absolutely no interest in participating. Sure, she as a consumer of reality television. That did not mean that she wanted to be a part of it!

Reality shows were just… something you enjoyed when sick at home, with nothing else to watch. They were guilty pleasures, hidden from people. Or, in the case of Project Runway, a way for Marinette _research._ It had never even crossed her mind to apply for a spot on the show. Marinette simply was not made for television.

Her life was exciting enough with her work as Ladybug. There was no need for any _more_ excitement.

But Alya did not know that last part, nor did she listen any objections from Marinette. Alya was determined to get Marinette into the show, sending the application on behalf of her best friend and making sure she attended the actual interview.

Granted, there had been enough bribing, blackmailing, and mild threats of violence for Alya to get Marinette to the Grand Hotel where the second round of auditions were being held. Alya was holding the briefcase with all her designs hostage until Marinette went through with the audition.

To tell the truth, Marinette didn't honestly think that Alya would not give them back if Marinette asked seriously enough. But it was far better to just play along with her best friend. After all, there was no harm in auditioning.

In theory, it was a good deal. She would get exposure, people all over Europe, and even the world would see her designs. And if she won, or even got to the finals, she would get to make an actual collection that was going to be shown during Paris Fashion Week.

It was _tempting._ But Marinette was already studying design, there was no reason for her to do things this way. She was a good student, so there was a good chance she would get a job in an actual company.

In the end, there was a small part of her that was glad that Alya was as brazen as she was, and pushed her into doing something risky that just might pay off. So yes, Marinette ended up playing along with the mild hostage situation that Alya goaded her into. She would never confess, but there was a small part of her that _wanted_ to know whether she'd make the cut.

In the end, she _had._ Along with nineteen more aspiring designers, Marinette was officially part of the cast for the new season of _Project Runway: France_. It had taken her a month to get her affairs in order to dedicate her whole life to the show. But now she was ready.

Because if she was going to be a part of this thing, Marinette was going to do her damned best to _win._

She'd put her studies on hold for the duration of the show, Alya had _already_ made a Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr account with her name to be her _official_ fan accounts, and her best friend had self-appointed herself as her official fan club's president for the duration of the show. And beyond if she did win.

Marinette wanted to win, in any case.

It had been whirlwind of several things happening all at once. Contracts were signed, non-disclosure agreements were carefully read and signed as well. Friends had thrown good luck parties and it all led to this day _. The first day of shooting_. Marinette arrived at the studio, which was originally a large warehouse, which had been arranged in several areas. Workshop, runway, production, makeup and many areas she hadn't been able to seen yet, all buzzying with people, running around and putting the finishing touches on everything.

It was dizzying.

She was greeted by a fast speaking woman, with the bluest and brightest hair she'd _ever_ seen. "Marinette?" the woman, waiting for her nod before holding a finger up, clearly listening to instructions being transmitted through her headset. "uh huh… mhmmm." The woman, whose name Marinette was yet to find out nodded for a second before snapping her fingers and motioning to Marinette. "Follow me!"

They navigated through what seemed a maze of people, who were apparently still setting up some common areas, fixing the lights so that the scenery appeared best on camera

"Alright, to your right, there's the workshop." The woman said, pointing towards an open door, as they walked. Marinette was barely able to peek through it, looking at the shiny and new sewing machines, before she had to jog to catch up with _Blue hair_. "Yeah, yeah, we're going over there. Who?" To tell the truth, Marinette was not even trying to reply, since it seemed that she wasn't taking to her in any case; mainly assuming that the other woman was just speaking to whoever was talking to her via her headset. "Yeah, with her." Still, Blue Hair _tried,_ somehow fitting a couple of sentences to Marinette before going back to her conversation. "Over there's the runway," she said, pointing at a large yet closed door, "but you won't get to see it just yet. Ah, here we are." She opened a door and ushered Marinette through it.

To be honest, Marinette had not understood a _word_ of what had just happened. Honestly, what had she gotten herself into?

She stepped into the room cautiously, looking around as she began processing everything she'd seen so far.

The room was small, with a comfortable looking red chair, surrounded by some half-dressed manikins and random decorations. Large headlights pointed towards the chair and Marinette quickly figured out that this was the interview room.

An older man was setting up the camera and motioned for Blue Hair to take a seat beside him. Behind him, there were two more people, mainly talking amongst themselves as Camille _still_ talked to whoever was on the other side of the line. "Yeah, we're shooting now." She pressed a button and finally looked at Marinette like she was _seeing her._ "Alright Marinette, here's the interview space." The woman, directed her to a seat "My name is Camille, and I'll be guiding you through this madness."

Camille headed towards the back of the camera, staring at the monitor, before fiddling with the lights above her. Once she seemed to be satisfied, she addressed Marinette again, "Here's how this works. I'll ask you some questions about the events of the day, and you'll answer them as if they'd _just_ happened. Okay? It'll all be edited in post, so just act natural and everything will be alright."

Somehow, Marinette doubted that.

Still, she nodded, too stunned to say anything else as she sat down on the chair, fidgeting with the collar of the blouse she was wearing as she was swarmed by a tech, a makeup artist and a stylist, who quickly slapped her hand away from her clothes, as the other man began working on her face as the tech began attaching the microphone to her clothes.

This place was absolute insanity.

"Aren't you pretty?" The stylist said, "You must take _great_ pictures, mon dieu!" The older woman took a step back, admiring her simple outfit as she seemed to _ponder_ just what to do with it. Whatever, Marinette was _not changing her clothes._ "You probably already took your cast pictures, I _can't wait_ to see them!" she gushed, fidgeting with the collar and taking a step back to admire her whole look.

"I… uh," Marinette began, but again. It seemed that _no one listened._ Still, there was so much more going on, as the make up artist began rummaging through his suitcase, pulling out several things and brushes. "I… uh, I already got make up done for the pictures?" Marinette offered, before being _attacked_ with a brush, as some powder was being brushed all over her face.

"We're just making sure you don't look _shiny_ , Ma Cherie!" the makeup artist said, his grin bright as he tapped some dewy looking lipstick over her very surprised mouth.

"I look shiny?" she inquired, her hand rising to touch her face before being swatted _and shushed._

"What about this top?" The stylist said, "She's pretty, we could do something here." the woman turned to Marinette for a second, "What's your angle? Sweet or bitchy and catty?"

Marinette sputtered indignantly, "What?" but no one really paid much attention to her.

Someone shushed the stylist, "It doesn't matter, it's just the first episode. We'll see how it develops when she meets the others."

Eventually, they left her alone and they went to the back of the room, giving Camille the chance to speak again.

 _Thankfully._ Marinette was beginning to miss the fast talking woman. "Alright, here's your time. You can say whatever you want in here, just remember to speak directly to the camera, and introduce yourself! Action!"

To tell the truth, the bright blinking red light made her nervous, but she was already here. She might as well try and make the best of it. "My name is Marinette Dupain Cheng, I'm 23 years old and I'm a student of _Ecole De La Chambre Syndicale,_ although I did put it on hold to be here." Marinette smiled at the camera, feeling a little more relaxed as Camille motioned at her to go on. "I've always been interested in fashion and design. I've been making clothing and accessories since I was twelve years old, I honestly can't wait to see what the challenges are."

"Good, good." Camille nodded, "Alright, so have you worked with models?"

"To tell the truth, not a lot. We've mainly worked on mannequins' at school, but we have worked with models before. I'm excited to see my designs on an actual runway."

"Mhmm," Camille nodded, "As you know, here you'll get to work with just one model through the season, unless you lose him or switch up later on. Tell me what you think about that."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to bonding with my model." Marinette explained, "I think it's really the best for this show to just do that. It's like working with a muse of sorts." Camille seemed to approve of her answer and she slipped her a brown envelope. Marinette looked at the large envelope, frowning before she turned towards Camille. "What's this?"

The red blinking light on the camera signaled that they were still rolling, but Camille didn't mind. Clearly everything would be edited later."I know this doesn't work this way in the other versions, but we're assigning you your first model." Camille motioned towards the envelope. "You'll have to act out picking him later, We're a little behind schedule so we need to get this episode done _fast."_

"This is your model's headshot. So you can give us your first impression and we'll edit it together in post after you meet him officially. Just tell us what you think of them, and if you think it'll work. Just… how inspired you are and all that. Aaand, _action!"_

Right. That made sense. Marinette nodded and opened the envelope, pulling the picture out slowly. Blond hair… green eyes… Oh no. _Nononononono_. She turned her attention towards Camille. "I need a second." she squeaked, doing her best to keep her composure as she pushed up from the chair and walked outside, closing the door quietly behind her.

Adrien Agreste. _Of course_ her model had to be Adrien Agreste. To tell the truth, Marinette wasn't exactly sure whether this was a big cosmic joke on her, or she was the luckiest girl in the world. Somehow, she always seemed to be stuck in the middle. She looked at the picture, pulling it out of the envelope so she could examine it more throughly.

Shit shit shit shit. Of course Adrien had grown to be even more handsome than he was during their school years. She hadn't seen him since they'd graduated, since school and work had _consumed_ her life and she'd barely had enough time to see Alya and her own family. But judging by the picture, she'd certainly missed _out._ He'd grown into his looks… even more if that was possible. His face had to be carved from marble by baby angels, it was just _that_ perfect. And those shoulders… and… She was clearly not over her crush.

Oh God, she was going to be working in close quarters with him. She had to make sure he got dressed and looked _perfect_ for each walk. She would need to _measure_ Adrien.

Marinette's head hit the closed door with a soft thud as she covered her mouth tightly to let out a muffled shriek, stomping her feet around for good measure. This was just… no. She _had not signed up for this!_

She was also going to murder Alya.

And then jump off the top of the Eiffel Tower.

No. No. She could do this. She was a _professional._ And she was definitely mature enough to handle seeing her school crush. Even if he looked even more handsome than before. That was just a small detail she needed to deal with. After all, she was going to be working in fashion and there were _many_ models that looked just as good as Adrien did, so there was no reason for her to freak out

After a few deep, calming breaths, Marinette felt ready to go back inside and face the camera. She opened the door cautiously, her smile sheepish as slipped back inside and sat down again. "Sorry," she smiled at the people, doing her absolute best to look as cheerful and cool as possible. "I'm done now, so where were we?"

The look on Camille's face was unadulterated amusement as spoke, "Marinette?" Camille's voice seemed to be barely containing her amusement.

"Yes?"

The woman tapped her chest, mirroring the spot where Marinette's wireless microphone was clipped. "You _do_ know that the microphone is still on, right?" At Marinette's panicked realization, Camille mouthed, "We heard _everything."_

Marinette's eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth again, muffling the panicked sounds of screaming once more. The actual show hadn't even begun and she'd managed to embarrass herself, _twice_.

There was no way she was going to survive this.

Camille, on the other side, was bursting with joy. "I'm _loving_ this one," the woman said, nudging the camera man with a grin on her face.

The only thing Marinette was able to do in response was hide her face behind her hands and groan. There was no way she was surviving this competition, let alone _today._


	2. DesignerMarinette

In which the first episode gets finished. And Marinette is a little bit thirsty.

After what had been a disastrous interview. It was time for her to head back to the hotel and meet some of the other contestants. She couldn't deny it, she was very nervous, since she'd be meeting the people she would be sharing every day with for the duration of this whole competition. She had already dropped off her things at the hotel earlier, (which she honestly thought was a bit of overkill, since she lived _three_ blocks away from the set.). But it was required so she would go with it, even if she was a little scared about keeping Tikki hidden from her future roommates.

The van that was driving her back to the hotel only held Camille, a driver and a camera man who was going to film her staged arrival. "Do I really have to stay at the Hotel?" Marinette asked, as she spotted her home through the van's window. "I live _right there."_

" 'm afraid so." Camille said, not even lifting her eyes from her clipboard. "It makes for good Television to have everyone living at the same spot. _And_ this way we don't have any delays for whatever might make you late if you come to the studio on your own."

She nodded, that was _obnoxiously_ logical. "And how many cameras are there at the hotel?"

"None." Camille asked, and Marinette's eyes widened. "There are no fixed cameras in your apartments, of course. But we _will_ come to see you every now and then, and get some interviews. Maybe recording dinners, and some casual moments."

That made sense too. All that was left was knowing just who her roommates would be.

"Alright, this is where you get out. Just walk at the hotel and _marvel_ at your surroundings."

One of the things Marinette was beginning to find out? For _Reality_ Television, it was _terribly scripted_. "Alright," Marinette said, as the van's door slid open and she was able to step out. To be honest, she wasn't completely in the mood to look awed considering she'd lived in Paris her whole life. But instructions were instructions and she stepped into the hotel, holding her messenger bag tightly with one hand as Camille directed her from behind the camera.

"There. Take the elevator to the tenth floor." The three of them entered the elevator and Camille continued, "You'll have about an hour to get ready and meet your roommates, then the van will come pick everyone up to go to the first challenge. We'll call you all about fifteen minutes before we're there so you can be ready and downstairs in time. "

There was such an onslaught of instructions, Marinette was beginning to get dizzy. She would also have to admit that living at Le Grand Paris Hotel, home to one Chloé Bourgeois was not one of her favorite things. But as she'd already realized, it was part of the rules she had to follow to participate on this contest. She would have bear it and hope she didn't run into the blonde.

"Room 1014!" Camille instructed, and Marinette made her way through the luxurious hallways towards the room. The key had already been given to her, so she simply unlocked the door and stepped in. Inside, there were two women, both organizing their things before turning their attention towards Marinette. "Hello!" Marinette said, heading towards the young one, "I'm Marinette!"

"Marinette!" the younger one said, air kissing both Marinette's cheeks as she smiled brightly. "Hi! I'm Anaìs Charpentier. Seems we're going to be _roommates!"_ She reached for Marinette's hand and led her towards their other roommate. It was an older woman, if Marinette had to guess, she was probably in her early fifties. "She is Noemìe," she said, and the older woman nodded her head in greeting before going back to her computer. "She's kind of grumpy," Anaìs whispered, though it was evident that Noemie was clearly able to hear the whole thing, judging by her exaggerated eye roll.

Anaìs dragged Marinette back to their beds, "This one's yours. Since you were the last one you had the last pick, sorry. I hope you don't mind the one next to the door…" The brown haired girl ran a hand through her wavy locks and clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she waited for Marinette to answer her barrage of questions. "So, tell me about yourself? What do you do? How old are you? Where are you from?"

It was hard to ignore the blinking red light from the camera, but Anaìs seemed to be an absolute professional at ignoring it. "Uh… I'm a fashion design student," Marinette tried her best to relax, though she was still feeling a little bit stiff; especially after her first interview earlier today. "I'm twenty three and I'm from Paris?"

"Really? Anaís' voice was curious, and Marinette wasn't exactly sure how to interpret it. Honestly, her experience in reality tv shows had taught her that trusting people could be a tricky business, but it was not in her nature to be so skeptical. "I think you're the only contestant from Paris. I'm from Lyon, but I've lived the past five years in New York. It's one of the best cities for fashion, _you know,"_

"Oh, I've heard that," Marinette said, brushing her hair from her face as she tried to interact with the overenthusiastic girl. "I've always wanted to go, what did you do there?"

"I was a fashion advisor," Anaìs said, her voice proud as she spoke, "I had very important clients, but I just wanted to _create."_ The girl, who seemed older than Marinette patted her hand, "You should get settled, we're leaving soon. You can call your family if you want... I'm going to go freshen up for the cameras," Anaìs winked at Marinette and then at the camera and sauntered off to the bathroom they shared.

"And Cut!" Camille (who Marinette had almost forgotten was _still there)_ said, "She's right. Rest, call family or whoever and get ready. You won't be styled or made up before the challenge, so make sure to make yourself _Pop."_ With that, Camille and the camera men disappeared through the door, leaving Marinette alone for the first time in what seemed _forever._ Not counting Noemie, of course, who wasn't paying attention to Marinette in any case.

Marinette plopped down on the bed, her eyes staring at the ceiling. She was exhausted and she still hadn't sewed _anything._ "This is insane."

The silent tap of Noemie's computer was the only sound in the room, and thankfuly, it was soothing. "It's reality TV kid," the older woman said. "Either you can handle it, or you can go home. No one's going to coddle you here."

The look on Noemie's face told Marinette just how little faith the older woman had in her abilities, and that probably meant that she needed to shape up. She still needed to face the challenge, there was no reason to whine just yet. Rolling off the bed, Marinette headed towards her suitcase, "Is this my closet?" She asked Noemie, and at the woman's nod, she began placing her clothing there, organizing it neatly.

 _Make yourself pop._ That was the advice Camille had offered, and Marinette set herself to find something cute, that was also comfortable to work in, since she doubted they'd get the chance to change before heading to the workshop. Pulling out several articles of clothing, Marinette laid them on the bed carefully, arranging them in different combinations to find the one that suit it the best. In the end, she'd picked a pair of comfortable jeans and a cute pink blouse. Sure, it didn't make her look mature and grown up, but it was familiar and she felt comfortable.

Shoes… In the end, she decided against the cute heels she'd brought, picking a pair of flats, since she was well aware of her penchant for working on her feet when she got stressed, it was best to forego the heels unless it was time to present her designs.

Soon enough, they were all ushered into a van and they were off. The vehicle drove them all the way to the _Palais Garnier_ , home of the Opéra National de Paris. As they walked through the majestic hallways, Marinette looked at the posters, signaling the upcoming shows for the seasons, her eyes glued to the beautiful artwork.

In the end, they were all standing on the stage, though it was impossible to look at the seating area, since the rest of the theatre was absolutely dark. A light lit up in the center of the stage, highlighting the host. "Welcome designers," the host, an older former model named _Heloise Auger_ welcomed them. Next to her, stood Tim Gunn, famed stylist and the mentor on the original version of the show. "Welcome to Paris and the first season of Project Runway: France!"

Tim spoke up, "We're thrilled to get to know each and every one of you, and see what you can bring to our competition."

"You are currently standing on one of the most famed stages in the world, _Le Palais Garnier!_ Where only the most prestigious companies perform." Heloise said, her hands motioning around her as one of the cameras panned around the area.

"And you're here, because you are all the best in fashion." Tim said, taking the time to look at the contestants, "And the top three competitors will get to show your designs at the world famous Paris Fashion week."

"But only one of you will win the first season ever of Project Runway, France." Heloise spoke up, "and you'll get one hundred thousand Euros, to fund and start your own collection."

The group cheered, looking between each other with excited looks on their faces. Marinete would have to confess that she was pumped. The adrenaline was beginning to hit and she couldn't wait to see what today's challenge would be.

"But we have a long way before that," Tim, said, "So we should probably get started. Shall we?" He said to Heloise, who nodded graciously before turning towards the group.

"Designers, the challenge today is to design an outfit inspired in one of the shows shown in this magnificent theatre."

Tim raised a hand and the lights in the theatre began turning up, and they were able to see the whole seating area, and realized that there were large pieces of fabric carefully laid on top of the chairs. Oh _God,_ this was going to be insanity right from the start.

There was a small rumble as the designers began to comment the current situation. There were several colors, and from what she could see, several types of fabrics too. They would need to be careful, because the fabrics might not mesh together properly, since they couldn't make out what they were from their current distance. All Marinette knew was that she needed to secure some neutral fabrics. Everything else could be solved with accessories or small details to make the design pop. She needed to grab that black fabric, because it would definitely be a starting point for all the ideas that were swimming on her head.

"You will have three minutes to gather the fabrics you'll use. We'll stop at a store for you to buy the rest of supplies you might need, but you will only work with these fabrics. You will not be allowed to buy any more." Tim spoke, before looking at the group with amused eyes. "Pick carefully, and pick fast. You will have two days to complete this challenge."

"That's right," Heloise said, "Also, you can only pick four fabrics each. No more than that. I wish you all good luck, and you have three minutes, starting…. now!" With that, all the designers scattered, _running_ towards the seat in a mad dash to get to the fabrics.

It was time to run like she'd never ran before. Marinette had never been so thankful that she'd left her heels behind, even if it might make her look like a teenager in comparison to the other contestants, because right now she was _faster_ than most _._ The young designer ran, like the woman on a mission that she was; closing in on her chosen fabrics and managing to snag a piece of gorgeous black fabric. It seemed thick and heavy, _ideal_ for a jacket, and the idea for the design began to form on her head. Still, she had to get to more before the time was up.

She scanned around quickly, finding a lone piece of satin-ey looking red fabric, snatching it right out of the hands of another male designer who quickly gave her the stink eye.

However, the gorgeous green (which would have made _someone's_ eyes pop like no one's business,) was grabbed before she could get to it, which meant that Marinette needed a new plan. She paused for a second, looking at the remaining fabrics and launched herself towards a dark grey one like a madwoman.

She had never been so happy to wear flat shoes.

In the end, there was a piece of brocade right between two other contestants that were two rows away from her, all of them looking at the piece and then each other. "Oh no." Marinette said, before jumping over a seat and scrambling towards it. She was shorter, yes. She was younger, yes. But she was a fighter, and she had, along Chat Noir, defeated Hawkmoth before they were even out of _Lycee_.

This was no match for her.

In the end, Marinette dove towards the fabric, snatching right out of the other two's hands, and crashed to the ground in an awkward tangle of fabric and limbs. But she'd won and that was what mattered.

"Time's up!"

Marinette stood up, holding on to her precious fabrics as she walked back towards the stage, along with the rest of the designers. Holding on to her loot with one hand, Marinette pushed her hair out of her face, since it had gone a little crazy during her hunt for fabrics.

"Alright designers," Heloise said, a bright smile on her face as she addressed the already exhausted looking contestants, "This is the first chance you have to impress the judges, take it seriously and I'll be seeing you on the runway!" With that, the model turned around and exited the stage, leaving them only with Tim Gunn.

"And now, follow me!" Tim said, as he walked off stage in the opposite directions. "We're going shopping and then it's time to meet your models at the workroom."

Right. Models. Marinette took a deep breath, fully aware that there were cameras on them at any minute. She needed to keep the amount of embarrassing antics to a minimum, and she needed to keep her dignity for when she had to deal with Adrien Agreste.

Shopping was a blur, having to hurry up to fit everything in the given time limit; but she was almost certain she'd managed to get everything she wanted. The design was a mere doodle on her sketchbook, done while the van was driving towards the store and then back to the studio, but it was shaping up to be something she knew she'd be proud of.

The workroom was everything Marinette hoped it to be and _more._ Their work tables were long and wide, enough for her to work comfortably and with a sewing machine that was better and more complete than anything she'd ever need.

She wanted to _name_ _it_.

Next to each work table, there was a mannequin, which held a small name card. Marinette headed quickly towards hers, leaving her fabrics and purchases on it, arranging them quickly, before opening her sketch book and doodling over the design she'd made up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Tim announced, "your models."

The door opened and the models walked in. Eight men, and eight women. All of them tall and absolutely _gorgeous_. Marinette gritted her teeth, pulling on her best poker face for the minute Adrien stepped into the room. She had to be ready, because it had been years since she'd seen the blond.

 _She wasn't ready._

Adrien walked inside, his expression casual and even somewhat uninterested as he looked at the designers, before his green eyes fell on her and a flash of curious and surprised recognition appeared.

Oh someone save her, because the simple white t-shirt and jeans look he was sporting was _definitely_ doing it for her. Adrien, unaware of her nervousness, smiled at her in silent greeting, before Camille appeared in front of everyone and began shouting out instructions again.

"Alright people. You know who you have to pick. Let's get this done in one take, shall we?"

They somehow managed to do just that. Suddenly, the camera was on her and Marinette simply did what she was told. "Adrien." Marinette said, making sure her voice sounded as even and casual as she was able to. The blond walked towards Marinette's table, keeping his composure until the selection was finally over and people began working again.

Once the cameras were no longer solely focused on her, and everyone was just busy working and talking to their assigned model, Adrien finally seemed to relax, "Marinette! Hey!" he finally said, greeting his former classmate with a warm smile. "I didn't know you were competing!"

"Hi." she answered, feeling a hint of warmth on her cheeks, "It… well. Alya, you know. She can be very pushy when she wants to be."

He chuckled, he too had been exposed to Alya's antics during their school years. "You'll do great," he said, a warm smile on his face. "So, what's your idea?"

Bless him for saving her from making any more small talk. Talking shop was a sure way for Marinette to get her bearings and manage to act like the adult she knew she was. And let go of the awkward teenager that Adrien somehow seemed to bring out of her. Focusing her entire attention on the design, was a good way to do that. "Right." she said, opening her sketchbook and showing him the doodle. "We have to create an outfit inspired on one of the shows. So I picked Carmen." The design had several notes, scribbled with her girlie handwriting, since she'd barely had time to make a full design in the time they'd had since they left the Palais Garnier.

Adrien nodded, his eyes looking at the picture, "That makes sense, it's based on _Escamillo_ , right?"

She'd forgotten for a second just how cultured Adrien was. "Exactly!" she exclaimed, her expression brightening as Adrien seemed to get her idea. "I just remember going to see the show with my parents when I was younger." It was Sabine's favorite and Tom had purchased a recording for her to play in the house. It was familiar, and familiar was a good way for her to find her footing in this show.

"Sounds great." he said, before clapping his hands and standing up straight. "Alright then! How do you want me?"

The clattering sound of Marinette's supply box hitting the ground, scattering her pencils and scissors on the floor besides her desk was a welcome distraction from the implication in his words. Granted, there was a 99,9% chance that he didn't mean it like that, but _God,_ she had certainly dreamed of hearing those words.

But not now. While the cameras were not solely focused on her, it was time to get to work. The clock was running and they'd would only have a limited amount of time to get everything settled. "I just need to take your measurements." Marinette said, picking up her supplies quickly, and grabbing a spare pencil, weaving it through her hair as she secured her dark hair on a bun on the top of her hair.

Adrien, seemingly used to these situations, simply stood still for her, as Marinette flitted around him, measuring the length of his arms and shoulders, taking notes on her sketchbook. Adrien stood still, only moving his eyes as he followed her movements.

There. Marinette was set and all the measurements she needed for the jacket were done. Now… _trousers_. "Almost done," she muttered, as she kneeled in front of Adrien.

Honestly, dropping to her knees in front of Adrien was not something she'd ever thought she'd do. Ever. There was never a moment in her life that she thought that the thought process of 'kneel in front of Adrien' was a thing that she would do.

That was actually a lie. She had thought about it, but this was _not_ the moment to dwell on that.

Clearing her throat and shaking her head, in an almost physical attempt to dispel the less than family friendly thoughts from her head. Taking the length was no issue, and after a quick scribbles on her notebook.

The young model didn't even bat an eyelash, which it even worse, considering everything that was currently going in her head. But somehow, she managed to measure his inseam without acting like a creeper and without squeaking awkwardly. She would consider it today's greatest accomplishment.

"There." Marinette said, finally standing up and looking up at Adrien. He had a gentle smile on her face, clearly finding nothing unusual about their interaction; which definitely made sense, considering he'd started modelling in his early teens. "I'll see you tomorrow for the fitting then?" he said, and Marinette nodded, "Good luck!" Adrien patted her shoulder, in what Marinette knew was an encouraging gesture, but her heart still skipped a beat. Adrien flashed her a small smile, "Bye!" he said, before grabbing his things and exiting with the rest of the models.

"Bye…" she said, looking at his retreating figure before she remembered that there were _cameras_ around her and that she needed to get to work.

For fuck's sake. She was twenty three years old, not fifteen. There was no reason for her to feel _this flustered!_

She straightened herself up and began spreading her fabric on her work table, knowing that she needed to get herself back on track, or her participation on this show was going to be over before the first episode actually _aired._

There was a small chuckle coming from the table next to hers and Marinette turned her attention to the source. A man in what seemed to be either his late twenties or early thirties flashed her an amused smile. "You're in trouble."

"What?"

He snickered, "You're cute." he said, " _and funny._ Don't let a pretty face startle you out of the show."

"..Wha… What?" Marinette sputtered, "It's not like that!" she defended herself. "I'm just nervous about the show."

"Sure thing," he said, winking at her. "I'm Raoul. Raoul Deveraux."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." she replied, narrowing her eyes at the amused man. Hopefully he had only caught her because he was on the next work table. Because if Marientte was in fact that obvious about her crush... she was going to go and hide forever.

"Well, Marinette, let's get to work, before Tim shows back up and yells at us for chattering instead of working."

"Right."

The rest of the day was spent cutting fabrics and sewing the mockups, keeping everything ready for the actual fitting on the following day. Hours went by, and then Tim Gunn stepped the workroom just thirty minutes before they were supposed to go, and he walked by every work table looking at the progress.

"What do we have here today?" He asked Marinette, his posture impeccable as he peered at her work. "this seems interesting."

"The pants are done, same with the shirt. the jacket and cape need to be assembled and lined. Then, it's just adding the decorations," She explained, pointing at the sketch.

The older man nodded, his eyes analyzing the work she had done so far and then back to the design sketched. "It's _very_ ambitious," he said, tapping the sketch on her notbook. "Are you sure you can pull it off in the time we have left?"

It was a lot of work, for sure. But Marinette was sure she could get it done. "I can do it."

"Good. I'm looking forward to see it on the runway."

Marinette stood for a moment, feeling slightly proud of herself for getting some sort of positive feedback from the talented mentor, before the older man gave her a quick look, clearly ushering her back to work. "Go on, _make it work. Go go go!"_

Right.

Tim Gunn walked towards the front of the room, surrounded by three cameras that worked to catch everything happening in the room. "Designers! You're done for the day. Time to head back to the hotel and rest." He gave them all a look "Don't worry, your precious creations will be left safely and your work tables will remain just like you left them."

The designers began gathering their things, and Marinette picked up the show's official messenger bag (with the pretty logo emblazoned over the front), which held all her personal belongings and marched out and into the awaiting vans.

The drive back to the hotel was surprisingly quiet, but that was probably due to the fact that they were all _exhausted._ It was past midnight when they finally got to their rooms and after a small calculation, Marinette realized that she'd been working on this show for over eighteen hours today. No wonder she was about to pass out.

But first things first. "I'm going to take a shower before bed!" Marinette announced, grabbing a few of her things and entering the bathroom. Thankfully, their room had a large bathroom, and if Marinette had the time she would have _loved_ to take a bath in the luxurious looking tub; but alas… it was not meant to be.

The first thing she did was turn on the shower, the loud sound of the falling water providing some cover. Then, she pulled out her cellphone and put on some music, trying to cover for any noise she wouldn't be able to explain. "Tikki?" She finally spoke, "Are you alright?"

The tiny red kwami flew out of the bag, stretching her limbs as she floated on the empty bathroom. "I'm okay!" She told Marinette, before giving her chosen a close look. "Are _you_ okay?"

The young woman nodded, "I'm exhausted, but I can deal." Marinate sat down on the closed lid of the bathroom and covered her face with her hands, "Oh Tikki, Adrien is here!"

"I heard," the kwami said, sitting on the border of the bathroom counter. "But you need to stay calm. You can win this!"

"I just need to not get nervous around him."

"It'll pass." Tikki flew towards Marinette, and snuggled her face. "You'll do great. But you need to get some sleep, so finish up here and get to it!"

"I know, I know." Marinette rummaged into her clothing bag and pulled an unopened pack of cookies. "Here. I'll take a quick shower and you can eat before we go to bed." she walked into the shower, groaning in pleasure as the water hit her exhausted muscles. "We need to figure out how you'll sleep.

"I can sleep in your bag." Tikki said, nibbling on her cookies. "Leave it next to your bed and that way I'll be close."

"That'll work." Marinette said. To tell the truth, she would prefer to have Tikki sleeping on her bed as usual, but since she was sharing her living quarters, it was not meant to be. "We'll figure out how to go on patrols soon." She told her, "At least so I can tell Chat not to worry since I won't be around as much." Marinette emerged from the shower wearing her pajamas and towel drying her damp hair. "I am exhausted."

"I know. Sleep!" Tikki commanded, and Marinette nodded, opening her bag and letting Tikki fly inside it before she headed back into the living area.

Noemie was already in her bed, and Anaìs was currently slathering some facial cream on her head. "Oh," Anaìs exclaimed, "I thought you'd drowned in there," she giggled, before noting Marinette's yawning. "Oh, tired?"

Marinette nodded, "this is intense."

"Oh, poor thing!" Anaìs flashed Marinette a sympathetic smile, "New York is always this insane, I'm used to this sort of life."

"I just need to adjust," Marinette explained, as she set her bag right next to her bed, on the opposite side of where Anaìs was, and settled into bed. "Sorry for hoarding the bathroom."

"Oh, don't worry!" the other girl beamed. "I showered right before we went for the challenge anyway."

"Right," Marinette said, feeling her eyelids heavy. "I'm going to sleep now. Night Anaìs , Night Noemie."

Marinette was just so exhausted that she wasn't sure whether her roommates had actually replied.

The morning started as insane as usual, since all the designers basically ignored the breakfast offered at the hotel, eager to get back to the workshop. Marinette grabbed some cookies and some other snacks to last her through the day before securing a large cup of coffee. The van was there earlier than what she'd expected so Marinette simply got inside and waited.

"Hey!" Raoul sat next to her inside the vehicle and nudged her with his shoulder. "How did you sleep?"

"Not enough," Marinette said, sipping on her coffee. "Why are you so _alive?"_

"I'm one of those terrible people, you know?" Raoul winked, his eyes glinting in amusement. _"Morning people."_

"You are terrible and I hate you already." Marinette groaned, but was glad to have someone to talk with. She had missed casual banter, since every interaction with Anaìs was an interrogation, and speaking to Noemie was talking to a wall.

Raoul laughter was loud, and Marinette enjoyed the energy. "How are you doing with your design?"

"I'm… okay." Marinette hesitated for a second, but really. They had until midnight to finish their designs and then present the following day. "I'm hoping I manage to finish in time though."

"Oh _God yes."_ Raoul sighed loudly. "Two days is not enough for theatrical costumes. I'm trying to finish a full skirt for my model and I'm not sure whether I'll manage to get it done without it falling apart on the runway."

"We have until midnight though," Marinette said, "Although, we have to do a fitting... and get the designs ready by today." She had no idea how they were going to manage to do all that.

"Welcome to reality television _darling_." Raoul joked, "Driving us insane is part of their job."

The ambiance at the work area was filled with stress. Some mild cursing was heard all around, as the half-finished outfits either fell apart, or just didn't move like they were supposed to. Marinette had pricked her fingers at least a hundred times today, and she was still not done with the embroidery.

"How are we doing?" Tim Gunn's voice startled her, making her drop the piece of fabric she was currently holding.

"I'm finishing the decoration and then I'll work on the lining of the cape."

The older man looked at it, his expression serious as he examined the mannequin, "It's going to be an attention grabber, that's for sure."

"Thank you." Marinette held up the lining, "I'm just not sure about this color, it fits with the theme, but then I'm thinking it's a little bit too bright and th…"

Tim held up a finger, " _Don't_ think too much. The models are going to be back in a couple of hours and you need to make sure everything works." he told her, "This can be a big wow moment. Follow your instincts and get back to work!" With that, he turned away from her and walked towards the next table, leaving Marinette to work with renewed energy.

Soon enough, the models entered the workroom again and she was once again faced with Adrien Agreste. Surely now that she had gotten over the shock of seeing him, she would be able to act like a normal human being.

"Marinette!" Adrien's voice was warm and he sounded excited to see her, and it did _things to her._ So clearly it was a clear no on the whole _acting like a human being_ thing.

"Adrien!" Came the unfortunate squeaky reply, "how are you?"

"I'm good, you?" he answered, before he looked at the mannequin, which was currently dressed with a half made jacket and with a cape covering it's shoulders. "Oh, you really made progress with it."

Right. Back to the contest. "Yeah, I just need to make sure it fits you right, before adding the finishing touches." She pushed the clothing at him, naturally expecting him to go… somewhere to change. She definitely did not expect Adrien to pull the back of his shirt over his head and place it on top of her work table and then casually buttoning up the dress shirt Marinette had handed over to him. After working through most of the buttons, he unbuckled his belt and casually _dropped his pants,_ leaving him wearing just a pair of black boxer briefs before slipping on the pants Marinette had made.

 _Oh_.

Marinette's attention was focused on the very blank wall right to her left, completely ignoring Adrien's small talk. To tell the truth, the situation at other worktables was very similar, with all the models in different stages of undress as they were fitted and their clothing was adjusted to their bodies. Which meant that it made no sense for her to be _this_ flustered about Adrien in his underwear. Even if he was ridiculously toned and his skin looked so very soft and… _focus._

"There. I think it's done." He said, and Marinette turned back to him, since he was thankfully dressed now.

"Right. Let me see if it needs any adjusting." She said, walking around him so she was standing at his back, making sure that the jacket fit properly and taking advantage of the fact that Adrien couldn't see her face. "Move your arms?" She asked, and Adrien did as instructed.

"It feels comfortable," He told her, rolling his shoulders and moving his arms, testing the fit of the jacket. "You did a good job."

"Thank you," She breathed out, before turning to glare behind her back, as Raoul chuckled right next to her as he too dressed his model.

A few marks here and there, and Marinette seemed satisfied with the results. "You can take it off now," She told him, going back to her sketchbook and scribbling some details on the paper. It provided a reprieve from having to watch him strip again, and she was thankful. Despite everything, Marinette was well aware that cameras were on them all the time. She needed to not embarrass herself. Again.

The clothing was carefully placed on top of her worktable, and thankfully Adrien was dressed again and Marinette felt able to stand seeing him again. "We're done for today, then…" he announced, slipping his jacket back on and grabbing his bag. He paused and looked back at the table. "It really looks great," he repeated, his fingers grasping at the fabric, before he looked at all the models marching out. "Tomorrow then?"

"Thank you!" Marinette smiled, looking away as a small blush tinged her cheeks. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

Once Adrien had left, Marinette settled back on the chair, and began working on the adjustments she had to make, quickly marking up the places that needed to be fixed and pushing the fabric through the sewing machine. She still needed to get the embroidering on, so there was no time to waste.

But of course, reality television did not care for personal time tables. "Marinette? Interview time?" Camille's head peeked through the workshop's open door.

She looked up from her worktable, looking at the blue haired woman with disbelief in her eyes. " _Now?"_

"Yup!"

Marinette sighed loudly and walked towards the exit, _"Fine."_ She had so much work to do and they were doing an interview now? She followed Camille towards the interview room, all the while repeating the words _'Do not say anything incriminating.'_ Over and over inside of her head. She quickly settled on the chair, waiting for the tech to fiddle with the microphone and everything else they had to do. Once all of that was taken care of, Camille took a seat to the right of the camera, and the prompting began.

"Alright, so… how is everything going?"

"It's been… hard." Marinette began, "It's kind of crazy, and I'm honestly _struggling_ to get the jacket finished by tonight. I really hope I have enough time."

"What did Tim tell you?"

"Well, that's actually exciting. Tim said that it's an _attention grabber,_ and I'm really trying to make it live up to the expectations."

"What's your inspiration?"

"I chose the Opera Carmen, because I'm actually familiar with the story. So I know a little of what to do?" Her hands moved. "I'm trying to give character, but still make it wearable? So hopefully it looks like it's following a theme, but it's not a costume."

"Good, good." Camille said, looking at her notes before asking, "Have you been bonding with your model?"

Marinette's jaw tightened for a second. It was a _trap._ "It's been a… surprise." She paused for a second,

"You seem to get along,"

Oh _shit_. For a second, Marinette wondered just what they'd managed to catch on tape but this was no time to be thinking about that."Oh. We were in school together, so he's not a stranger. It was a bit of a surprise to see him here though…" Marinette's shoulders were tight, as she tried to focus all her energy on being as casual as humanly possible. And to tell the truth, the idea of discussing whatever Adrien was to her in front of a camera, was just not on her list of things to do. Also, she was extremely wary of what editions could do, so she knew she shouldn't do anything she didn't want edited into something _more._

Also. She needed to finish her outfit before they left. "I should really go finish my look though." She said, and Camille nodded. With that, Marinette scrambled out of the table and towards the work room.

In the end, she had pricked her fingers about a thousand times, she had somehow managed to glue her fingers to a piece of rhinestone (and she wasn't even working with rhinestones, so it was even more surprising.) She also wasn't sure whether she'd actually eaten today. This show was going to kill her.

The zombie horde of designers stumbled back into the vans, and soon enough they marched into the hotel as the army of the undead. They piled into the elevator "Can we get room service?" Marinette spoke up, feeling her stomach rumble, since her regime of protein bars was definitely not enough. "Like, is that allowed?"

"I'm getting a burger." Emmanuelle, another designer Marinette had barely interacted with spoke up. "Just _try_ and stop me."

The good thing about having a day dedicated solely to the fashion show, was that Marinette could actually get herself ready for a change. She actually slept, ate breakfast and was fully awake by the time the van was waiting for them outside of the hotel. Granted, that happened almost at noon, but still... Marinette had been very, very tired.

Tim welcomed him at the workshop. "Designers. Your models are getting ready. Meet them at hair and makeup and get them ready for the runway. You have one hour to make sure that everything is _spotless. Make it work!"_

Everyone hurried towards the hair salon, and Marinette reached the door to find Adrien already sitting on the hairdresser's chair. The hairdresser, a woman greeted her quickly and quickly began throwing questions at her. "Alright. What should we do? Color? Texture?"

Marinette paused, she had honestly not thought this far, since she'd never had to present an outfit in an enviroment like this, but thankfully she had a clue on what she wanted. "I think his hair should be neat, but not slick, you know." Marinette said, gesturing around Adrien's hair as she tried to explain what she wanted. "It should move, but not look messy."

"Got it." The hairdresser winked and began working on him, brushing Adrien's hair before gathering more supplies.

"How are you doing?" Adrien asked, absolutely nonplussed as the older looking woman sprayed his hair with some product Marinette didn't even recognize.

"Nervous." she confessed, biting her lower lip as she watched Adrien's hair being wrestled into submission. It was really messier than she'd remembered.

"It'll be fine," he reassured her, wincing as the hairdresser tugged a bit too hard, but otherwise, not really reacting to the styling. The clothes look good, you're _definitely_ still on the race."

It was then, that Adrien began being attacked by the makeup artist, who quickly began matching foundations to Adrien's skin, before turning towards Marinette. "Neutral make up?" The makeup artist asked, already brushing some foundation on Adrien's face. "Or do you have any specific ideas?"

Marinette paused for a second, picturing the whole look on her mind. "How about some eyeliner?" Marinette suggested; leaning back against the table as the artist began applying the dark make up on Adrien's eyes, smudging it slightly to give… well, a very good result.

"Like that?"

Marinette nodded, It shouldn't be legal to look that good, _really._ "That's amazing, thank you."

Soon enough, Adrien was done, and fully dressed. After fussing over his outfit for a couple more minutes, Marinette was ushered towards the runway, where she had to take a seat with the rest of the designers, opposite all the judges.

The host, Heloise Auger walked into the stage, doing her best runway walk while wearing a gorgeous and very short white dress. "Welcome to the runway," Heloise greeted them. "As you know, in fashion, one day you're in and one day… you're out. There are sixteen of you here, after this show, there will be fifteen."

The statuesque woman walked closer, still on top of the runway, "Your challenge was to design an outfit inspired by the shows at the Palais Garnier, using only the material you were able to gather. Alright. Let's say hello to our judges."

Behind here, there were three more people alongside Tim Gunn. Marinette was familiar with the drill, but she wasn't familiar with all the faces, so she paid close attention to the introductions. "We have the creative director for Mode Magazine, _Tatiana Geiger_." The woman waved at them, a pleasant, if rehearsed smile on her face. "Next to her, we have the creative director for S.E.L.F. Fashion, and famed designer, _Thierry Leclère;_ and today's guest judge, the amazingly talented, a regular at the _Palais Garnier_ , Margot Peltier." The woman, a famous ballet dancer waved at the group.

Heloise continued, "We also have Tim Gunn, but as you know, since he's your mentor; he will not be judging you. That said, he will have one _Tim Gunn Save_. If at some point he disagrees with the judges, he can bring that designer back to the competition." She said, "We also have an anonymous runway. That means, that the judges don't know which designer created which look. Let's start the show!"

The lights dimmed and the music began blaring and they were off. Her outfit was the fourth to come from backstage, and it took her breath away. It was something else, to watch an actual design made by her, be walked on an actual runway. It was different from seeing it displayed by a friend, or wearing it herself. Adrien was able to showcase the outfit perfectly, with the cool and effortless attitude of someone who was doing this for years already. Which, to be honest, was the case. The light metallic embroidery glimmered under light pleasantly; so that it caught the eye, but didn't distract from the rest of the outfit. His pants were fitted, displaying long toned legs, but leaving the attention to the details on his jacket, which were the central of the entire outfit. Adrien removed the cape at the end of the runway and walked back with a confident ease until he reached the end, striking a pose before leaving the runway. It was no more than thirty seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

"It looks really good," Raoul, who was currently sitting to her right whispered. "Good job."

"Thank you," Marinette breathed out, as they watched the rest of the models work their way through the runway. That was it. That was her participation on the runway. Adrien looked good, the outfit held perfectly and… there was nothing else for her to do but _wait_.

Soon enough, the runway show was over, and the designers stepped over the runway. The sixteen, very exhausted designers waited for the judges to announce the results. "We have learned who created each look. Once we name you, please step forward." Heloise looked at the card she was holding, and began listing. "Angelina, Jean Phillipe, Leo, Halette, Marinette and Raoul."

The six designers took a step forward, looking amongst each other nervously. "You are all the highest, and the lowest scores." Heloise announced, "Everyone else, your scores have qualified you to move to the next round. You may leave the runway." The rest of the designers walked off stage, leaving the six designers alone on the runway. At the same time, the models walked on stage, each of them standing beside their designer.

"Noemie. Explain your design."

As the older woman begun explaining the story behind the ballet inspired dress, Marinette was trying to calm down her nerves. She could honestly feel herself _shake_ in anticipation of when the judges would ask her to explain what she tried to do. It wasn't until she felt a small nudge on her shoulder that she turned to look up at Adrien, who mouthed _'breathe'._

And she did. She could do this. She'd taken on so much more and _succeeded_. Judges at a reality show couldn't bring her down unless she let them.

"Marinette. What inspired you to make this outfit?" Heloise spoke up.

She took a deep breath and began, "This outfit is inspired in the opera Carmen, specifically by the character of Escamillo." She motioned at Adrien, "The character is a matador, and I tried to express that through the lines of the outfit, trying to bring it real life, so that it was wearable and not just a costume."

"I can see that." Heloise said. "It took my breath away. It's a very dramatic look, but he looks very chic."

"It's gorgeous. It's risky, and it paid off." Thierry spoke up, "I see a lot of work being put into that outfit, with the jacket and the cape and everything else going on, and it looks very _finished._ Which is a very important feat in this contest. Congratulations."

"Using a Matador as guide is a very a very risky move. But it definitely works. It looks very modern, very now." Tatiana said, before motioning in front of her. "Can we see the cape?"

Adrien immediately took it off his shoulders, twirling the cape between his hands like a matador would, displaying the dark red blood lining.

"Ugh. I _love that."_ Margot gushed, "It's so dramatic, _so couture_ , but still so wearable! You should be very proud."

Marinette positively beamed "Thank you." With that, they began questioning another designer; and Marinette still wasn't sure just how that had happened. _They liked it._ She had been thoroughly congratulated by the judges; so she was sure she was not the lowest scores. It was everything she'd wanted for her first appearance. She chanced a glance up to Adrien, only to find him smiling proudly at her, nodding his head at her in silent encouragement.

"Alright." Heloise spoke up, distracting Marinette from Adrien and making her focus back in the contest. "We've heard what you have to say. Now it's time for us to decide who won and who lost this challenge. You may live the runway. Models, please stay."

The designers were led to a waiting room behind the runway, where the rest of the designers were waiting. "Oh my god!" Anaìs exclaimed, once the group made it through. "How did you all do?"

"It went well." Raoul said, stretching his limbs as he settled on an empty spot on the sofa. "I think I'm safe."

"I'm done for," Halette said, running a hand through her blonde hair. "Mine wasn't properly finished. I'm honestly expecting to get sent home." She held up a hand, silencing the barrage of support sent her way automatically. "It's okay, I know what went wrong." She turned her attention towards Marinette, "It's between her and Leo. I can _see it."_

Matilda spoke up, nodding along with Halette, "Yours is really good!" She said, patting Marinette's arm, who still hadn't been able to speak. "Are you nervous? Breathe!"

"I'm just still processing everything," Marinette explained, laughing nervously. "This is _so intense."_

Leo, a man in his mid-thirties, simply looked at the exchange. He clearly wanted no part of this interaction, and from what Marinette could remember, he wasn't exactly talkative with the rest of the cast; in the end he chose to sit down on a sofa and look around as they waited to be called back.

It took about forty _very long minutes,_ but Camille popped back into the room. "Designers, time to walk back out!" she instructed, "go, go go!" The six chosen designers followed, walking towards the stage in an orderly line.

"As we've said," Heloise began, once they were all waiting on top of the runway, "Here we have the highest and the lowest scores. One of you will be named the winner, and one of you will be out."The model paused, allowing a second of silence for a dramatic pause before continuing. "This challenge offered a very wide range of opportunities, yet some of you were not able to grasp the concept and properly display it on your design. Some of you did so excellently and we're very proud of you. Noemie? You are still on the competition. You may leave the runway."

"Thank you." The older woman nodded and walked off the stage, leaving five people waiting.

"Marinette and Leo, you two have the highest scores on this challenge. Leo, your dress was very inspired, and I can definitely see the inspiration of the Swan Lake on your concept. Marinette, your Carmen inspired outfit was very bold and complicated and it definitely worked in your favor. Leo, you are still in competition. Marinette, you are the winner of this challenge. Congratulations. We're _very_ excited to see what else you can do!"

Wait, _what?_ The young designer beamed, her smile bright as she processed just what the judges were telling her. She won! "Thank you!" she said, "I'm just really glad that I managed to translate my idea into an actual outfit that I really do feel proud of."

"Marinette, you have immunity for the next challenge. That means you cannot be eliminated. Leo, Marinette, you both may leave the runway."

There was only one way to describe the energy of her steps as she walked to the backroom. Once the door was closed behind them, everyone began asking questions. "You won?" Anaìs asked, and Marinette nodded silently, legs wiggling in excitement.

She was swarmed by at least five designers, who began congratulating her on her success and fawned over the cape she'd designed. "I can't believe I won!" Marinette exclaimed, grinning excitedly as the group surrounded her, showering her in congratulations.

"Marinette?" Camille tapped the young woman's shoulder. "Interview time, let's go!" She tapped her watch, clearly waiting for Marinette to follow right away.

"I uh… I'll see you guys later," Marinette said, before skipping after Camille. Once settled back on the interview room, Marinette began speaking, not needing Camille's prompting this time. "I honestly can't believe I won." She gushed, grinning at the camera, "I'm just… so shocked, everything happens so fast here. I'm just glad that the judges were able to appreciate the effort I put on my design." She laughed and exhaled loudly, in a mixture of excitement and sheer exhaustion before turning back towards the camera. "I just might be able to survive this, after all…"

Camille grinned. "And, cut!" the young producer turned towards Marinette. "Perfect."


	3. Adrienette

Summary: In which the second episode airs and everyone's a shipper.

 **Chapter II**

"It's starting!"

"I'm coming!" Alya called out, tapping her feet as the microwave finished popping the bag of popcorn she'd just thrown inside. "Is it recording on the DVR?"

"Yup" Nino answered, before letting out a booming laugh.

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

"Just the summary from last week. You have time." Nino's voice came from the living room, where the TV was already broadcasting the highlights from the previous episode.

Finally, the microwave beeped, done with her popcorn and Alya opened quickly, pouring the contents of the bag into an awaiting bowl, before racing towards the couch where Nino was already waiting at. With the popcorn safely set between them, their drinks poured, it was time to watch their best friend be humiliated on national television.

"My poor friend," Alya looked at the screen, where a very flustered Marinette was measuring an extremely oblivious Adrien on screen. "This was the best and worst thing that could have ever happened to her."

Nino snorted, leaning back on the couch as the show actually began.

The panoramic views of Paris were breathtaking, the camera panning across the great landmarks, before centering on the outside of the Le Grand Paris; current home for all the contestants. The camera entered a room, beds still occupied by the slowly awakening contestants.

The alarm clocks began ringing, and in every room the designers began getting up from their beds.

"What's that?" Elisa, a designer around thirty years old stretched as she approached a box on top of the small table inside of their room; before the camera cut to all the other rooms, as all the contestants began getting out of bed to properly investigate what the present meant.

"This morning we get up, and there's a mysterious box..." Anaís Charpentier's voice narrated, as the camera showed all the contestants getting up, stretching and yawning, most of them still not fully awake. "I'm intrigued and very confused."

"There's a note!" Marinette said, plucking the envelope from inside the popcorn and quickly opening it." Good morning designers," she read, "We're whisking you away on a little adventure. We have arranged transportation for you downstairs, be ready at ten. Hugs and kisses, Heloise and Tim"

The cameras showed everyone chattering around, still in their pajamas, every participant looking through the box's contents. "Look," Marinette said, rummaging through the paper tissue inside. "A captain's hat!"

Anaís plucked the hat from Marinette's hand and put it on her own head. "I'm loving thiiis!"

Raoul appeared on the screen, comfortably settled on the interview room, his monologue used as a voiceover for what was currently happening at the hotel. "Captain hat? Guess we're going for a boat ride." The designer, wearing a green button up shirt, which constrasted nicely with his dark sepia skin, addressed the camera like he was born to do so. "I'm just really hoping we don't have to run through a theatre again, or any kind of obstacle course," Raoul laughed, a dazzling smile lighting up his face, "these people can be vicious"

Back at the hotel, the contestants seemed to be almost ready.

"What do you think we'll do?" Anaís asked Marinette, as she applied foundation to her face, getting properly camera ready.

"I honestly have no idea," Marinette said, standing alongside the other girl in front of the mirror, pulling her hair into a bun on top of her head. "It says nothing about the challenge."

"That's true," Anaís said, frowning a little bit, "What do you think?" She asked, turned to their other roommate, who's been quiet through the whole exchange.

"I think," Noemie said, currently sitting on her bed as she looked at the girls as they finished primping, "that it's getting late and we should start getting ready." With that, Noemie stood up and walked towards the door, leaving both Marinette and Anaís sharing a look before shrugging and going back to their things.

Soon enough they were near La Seine, at Port Henri IV, somewhere close Ile Saint-Louis, where a large yacht was docked by, and its crew clearly waiting for them. Tim and Heloise were waiting on the top deck, bright smiles on their faces as the group quickly made their way onto the large yacht. An impeccably dressed crew helped them in, leading them towards the staircase that led to the open upper deck.

Heloise was wearing a tight fitting blue dress, highlighting her blue eyes perfectly as she greeted them. "Welcome designers!"

"Gather around everyone," Tim spoke up, signaling for everyone to get closer.

"We're on board the Don Juan II, one of the luxurious boats from Yacht de Paris, and our little surprise for today!" Heloise said, as the boat finally lurched into movement, and began gliding along La Seine."

The morning sun cast every monument around them in a soft light, and the water beneath the boat glimmered.

"Paris is the city of lights, love and most importantly, fashion." Heloise continued, as the Eiffel tower began nearing them, "It's been one of the most important cities in terms of architecture, culture, filmmaking and history. Its importance has been portrayed in several forms of art and, as designers, fashion is our art."

Tim nodded along, "We believe it's important to draw inspiration in everything that surrounds you. And I don't think it'll be too hard to get inspired here."

"For this challenge, you have to draw inspiration from this beautiful city and everything in it, to create a look that fits what you think of Paris."

"You'll have until lunch to sketch some ideas, then we'll have lunch here, courtesy of our sponsors." Tim said, "After that we'll go shopping and back to the workshop."

"You will have one day to finish this challenge," Heloise informed them. "Marinette, you won the last challenge, which means you have immunity and cannot be eliminated." The camera panned towards Marinette before returning to Heloise, "Alright! Have fun and I'll see you all on the runway."

"Well everybody!" Tim said, "What are you waiting, get inspired! Chop chop!"

With that, the group scattered, quickly finding a spot on the upper deck to settle and draw.

There was a cut to the interview rooms and Angelina's voice over took over. "I'm actually looking forward to this challenge. I went to school for architecture, so I can definitely appreciate the Parisian landmarks. I think I can do something very interesting with the concepts offered."

Back on the upper deck of the boat, the designers either walking around, looking for a new angle, or just talking amongst themselves as they appreciated the view. Marinette had found a comfortable spot sitting cross legged on one of the large seats. She modestly arranged her pink flowery dress to make sure it covered everything that it needed to as she sketched, with a secret smile on her face as she alternated her attention between the scenery and her sketchbook.

"Nino. Babe, look at our daughter. Look at how pretty she looks!" Alya gushed, pointing at the screen as they showed Marinette walked towards the location with the rest of the contestants. "

"What are you doing?" Nino asked, glancing as Alya began fiddling with her phone.

"I'm tweeting about her." Alya said, "She deserves all the support social media can offer."

"The show is still being filmed." Nino pointed out. "And it's been like... three weeks since she began filming, she's still doing _just fine,"_ an amused smile appeared on his face as Alya tapped a message on her phone. He knew by now that once Alya started on something, there was just no stopping her.

"I'm having a bit of issue with this challenge?" Anaís said, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she looked at the camera. "I lived in New York for five years. I'm not that knowledgeable anymore on France styles? The lines, and everything is just so different..."

The scene switched to Anaís scrapping another design, frowning at her sketchbook. "I'm just worried."

Soon enough, it was time for lunch, and the group sat together on a large table, set on the main deck of the yacht. The meals were served by the wait staff, who brought the exquisitely decorated plates.

"This looks nice!" Matilda, a purple haired designer pointed out, taking a bite out of her plate before groaning loudly. "Tastes so nice too!"

"Good," Raoul said, pouring himself a little bit of wine, "I am starving."

The group ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the meal as some of them still poked around with their sketchbooks.

"So, how's your design coming up?" Rémi Giraud asked, looking at all the people on the table, before offering some information of his own, "I'm all set, I just want to look at the fabrics we can work with before I settle on what I want to make."

"I have some doodles," Anaís said, digging into her lunch with gusto. "How about you, Leo?"

The thirty seven year old designer gave a carefully controlled shrug. "I have ideas. I'll be deciding which one I'll pick later. See how it develops as I go."

The scene changed from the lunch to the interview room, where Leo Sagnier sat alone, "I'm here to win," he spoke, his dark blond hair slicked back as he looked at the camera with a bored look on his face. "This is not a place to make friends, as much as these kids might be acting that way. It's a competition and that means that everyone can be an enemy. I'm not about to share my ideas with them, and risk them being inspired _by_ me."

Their tour had almost ended, the yacht reaching port and being carefully maneuvered to allow a safe disembarking. Once they were all on port, and eager to get to the vans, Tim stood up in front of them. "Alright designers! I hope you have your designs ready, because we're going shopping!" The group piled onto the awaiting vans and they were off. Most of the designers were still looking through their sketchbooks, finishing up some last minutes details before they got to the store.

"I'm hoping that shopping goes well. Because... I'm not very inspired." Anaís confessed, sitting beside Marinette who then peeked at the girl's sketchbook.

"You just need to pick the right color, it would work!" She encouraged Anais. "That part looks really pretty!"

At the store, the designers were received by Tim, who encouraged them to pick some shopping baskets. The large store was closed for them, and the shop keepers were alert and ready for the requests the group might have. "Designers, you'll have thirty minutes to shop. I hope you're ready, because your time begins now!"

The group disappeared between the aisles, eager to take advantage of the little time they had to shop. There were several fabrics of many, many colors; along with several other types of materials that they were eager to get their hands on.

"I'm getting more ideas now!" Beaufort announced as he plucked several rolls of fabrics from the shelves. "Don't you just love it when that happens?"

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for everyone. "Have you ever been given so many options, that you just get blocked?" Rémi Giraud said, as he looked at a wide selection of blue toned fabrics. "Because that's a thing that happens, and it is happening to me _now_." A loud bleep censored whatever it was he was going to say, but the message was loud and clear. Rémi was frustrated.

Noemie Roitfeld, seemed to be on the same boat. "This color, I can't match this damned color!" She muttered, as she browsed through the wide selection of lining that the store offered.

Marinette was shamelessly standing on top of a cutting table, looking at the fabric she wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise. The skirt of her pink vintage inspired dress swished around her as she picked at different kinds of fabric, feeling it between her fingers as she tried to settle on one. She pulled two rolls of fabric and set it on the table behind her, before jumping off the table, her hands securing the dress' skirt to her body; only then noticing the camera. "Oops." she said, blushing as she smoothed the skirt of her dress.

"Chop chop designers!" Tim's voice was loud and urgent, "you have five minutes left!"

Raoul seemed to have already finished picking his fabric, and was currently browsing through the rest of the materials, brown eyes clinically examining them against his chosen fabric, before tossing them inside his shopping basket.

"Designers, time is up! Everyone needs to be at the checkout counter now!" The few designers who still weren't done shopping, rushed towards the checkout counter and paid their purchases, and soon everyone was ready, all of them carrying bags of material in their hands. "Alright everyone, time to get back to the workshop!"

The camera cut straight to the workshop, and at once, all the designers began organizing their worktable, placing their purchases on top as they prepared to get to work. There was excited chattering, as they began to work with new energy. Their lovely morning probably helped with that mood.

"I have a good idea for what I'm doing," Matilda said, as the camera showed her placing the black fabric on top of her work table. "I've just never worked with this type of fabric before... so, I just hope it behaves for me."

The camera showed at every designer beginning to cut, and put the scraps of fabric on their dress forms, trying to get a feel of what they were trying to achieve.

The interview cut to Marinette, "I have a good idea on what I'm going to do, but I'm afraid it might not be as architectural or grand as some other designers are shooting for?" Marinette frowned, looking at the camera as she pulled her hair into a bun, weaving a pencil through it. "I've lived in Paris my whole life. I'm just... it's more than just the landmarks, and I'm going to try and show that through what I'm trying to do."

Back at the workshop, everything seemed to be taking shape, until Daniel gasped loudly. "Is that blue tweed?" he asked Elisa, who nodded, confusion clear on her face. "I'm making a tweed skirt." Daniel finished, looking concerned as he glanced at the extremely similar fabric.

A loud bleep censored Elisa's answer as she walked over to Daniels' work table. "Mine's a jacket," Elisa said, holding her fabric to Daniel's, "It's almost the same fabric!"

Daniel covered his face with his hands, panic obviously beginning to set in. "I didn't even see you around it when I picked it!"

"I did it first thing!" Elisa said, looking through her sketchbook to compare it with the other contestant. "What are you pairing it?"

The camera panned around the room, as Elisa and Daniel tried to solve their little problem, while the rest of the designers tried to keep away from the drama, but most were simply unable to look away.

A couple of hours later, Tim Gunn stepped into the work room. "Well, you seem focused today!" he exclaimed, as none of the designers seemed to react to his arrival. The older man chuckled, "Let's see how we're doing!"

The first designer to get inspected was Angelina. Her mannequin held a wide skirt with an exposed hoop skirt. "What's going on here?"

"I'm drawing inspiration from the Eiffel tower," Angelina explained, "So It's the bones will be exposed and part of the look,"

"I see," Tim said, "it's very conceptual, which can be very good. But you need to make sure that your outfit doesn't get lost in the concept you're trying to make. Do you understand?"

"I do,"

"I do like the skirt part... just try and merge it properly with the top."

With that, the mentor walked towards Raoul's table, "What do we have here today." His eyes glanced between the sketch and the half made pink dress. "It's very busy... but in a good way."

Raoul smiled, "I'm just trying to get some Marie Antoinette vibe going on... but make it more current."

"I can see that." Tim said, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "I think you need to be really careful with the construction of the skirt, keep it balanced so that it doesn't throw the whole outfit off."

Raoul nodded, "I can do that."

"Keep up the good work!" Tim said, before turning away towards the next table.

The scene cut to Raoul's interview. "I really think I have a good chance to win this one. I've worked in Architecture before, so I understand how to work structures and lines." He chuckled, "And Tim didn't hate it, so that's _always_ good."

Back at the workshop, Tim had approached Elisa's table. "Well... this fabric looks very familiar." He said, before heading over to Daniel's table. "What happened here?"

The two designers looked bashful, but Elisa spoke up, "I think we both really liked the tweed," she rubbed the back of her neck, "I'm just trying to modify my outfit as much as possible so that it doesn't look related."

"I see that... I can see the differences in the fabric here, but I'm not sure whether they'll show on the runway." Tim pointed out. "You need to make sure your own style shines through enough so that the judges don't notice the similar fabric."

Marinette's turn was next. On her mannequin, there was a long light brown coat, "I can see what you're doing in here. Very _Last Tango in Paris_ ," He looked at the coat, his eyes examining the sewn seams. "It's simple... which isn't necessarily bad... but if you're making things simple, you need to be very, very polished. Or else simple becomes sloppy."

"Okay," Marinette nodded. "Maybe work on a hat or something?"

Tim looked thoughtful for a second, "Just make sure your finishing details are well done and accessorize properly." He nodded and carried on towards the next table.

"So, how are you doing today, Leo?"

Leo looked up from his work, as he sewed some lining on top of a delicate brocade fabric. "I'm doing alright with this."

"What's your inspiration?" Tim

"I enjoy the arches on Notre Dame," Leo said, "So I tried to incorporate them into this look."

"It's working very well," Tim said, "I'm looking forward to seeing this on the runway. Keep up the good work."

The camera panned to Anaís, who was currently looking at the interaction between Leo and Tim. "Leo is _veeery_ mysterious." She laughed, "He wouldn't even tell Tim about his design. I mean... we're not going to steal it! And even if someone did try to steal it? We have less than a day to present it, so it's a bit... you know. Too much." Anaís burst into laughter as the camera panned back towards the workshop, where Tim simply turned away from the silent designer.

Back at the front of the room, Tim turned towards the work tables and adressed the group. "Well, designers... I think you're all doing a phenomenal job." he told the whole group, "Sure, some of you have a little more work to do, but the ideas are there. You can do this. And I can't wait to see where you take this." He clapped his hands. "Keep up the good work, and I will see you all in the morning!"

With four hours left in the day before they had to return to the hotel, the designers were beginning to get a bit antsy. "Ugh!" Marinette huffed, before two loud clunks were heard and her height diminished by at least three inches. "My feet are killing me."

"You have a perfectly good seat _right there._ " Raoul pointed out, comfortably settled in front of his own work table.

"I can't sit down." She whined, wiggling her toes as she walked barefoot around her table. "I can't sit down when I'm stressed."

"You're going to get stuck with a needle on your feet and I'm not taking any blame." Raoul said, before focusing on the fabric lined up in front of him. "Then, you'll have to go to the doctor and will miss most of the working time. Tetanus shots hurt like a bitch, by the way."

"Well, don't drop any then." Marinette replied, her tone sassy and defiant and Raoul snorted. "Problem solved."

It was then that the models arrived. Quickly, all the designers stood up, grabbing their outfits from the tables and throwing them on the models. There was no time to waste and the fittings needed to be as precise and fast as humanly possible.

Adrien was already wearing the shirt Marinette had designed, and was currently slipping on the coat.

"Oh..." The words might have been bleeped out by the censors, but it didn't take much effort to figure out just what Miss Dupain Cheng had just said. "It's loose on your shoulders."

There was a second where Adrien just looked shocked, but after that wore off, he simply burst out laughing. "I don't think I've ever heard you curse."

Marinette's face flushed, her hands covering her mouth for a second, before she began to apologize. "Sorry, I'm just..."

"No, it's okay, It's just new to me."" he reassured her, shaking his head, the smile still on his face. "I don't mind, I bet you're stressed." Adrien grinned at her, and Marinette looked up at him with a bashful smile on her face.

"You have no idea," She breathed out, rubbing the back of her neck, before she clicked back into designer mode. "Right, I need a pencil," Marinette said, looking around her work table for one, lifting the material to see where it had rolled into.

"Like this one?" Adrien said, plucking the pencil from her hair, causing it to cascade down from the bun she had secured it into, to its full lenght, right below her shoulders.

"...yeah," Marinette breathed out, nervously taking it from his hand and successfully knocking her box of supplies onto the floor. _Again_. Down went the needles, measuring tape, elastic band and spare buttons, scattering around her feet and flustering her even more than she was already.

Adrien glanced down. "Wait, you're barefoot?" he asked, "Don't move, you'll get hurt," he told Marinette before he kneeled down to help pick up most of the needles that were currently surrounding her.

Marinette stood by, her cheeks flushing prettily as she pointedly avoided looking at the camera. But of course, the camera then focused on two other contestants, Raoul and Beaufort, who were currently watching the scene unfold, silently laughing at Marinette's misfortune.

Back in the interview room, Beaufort burst into laughter, "Bring some water into the work room because the thirst is _unreal."_

Soon after, the models were gone and the designers were back to work. There were only two more hours until the end of the day. "I think I might have bitten off more than I can chew." Raoul's voice sounded concerned but slightly amused. "The skirt didn't look as great as I thought on the model's body, but I can still work with it. I might need to cut down on some other details though. I don't know if I'll have enough time."

The next morning, all the designers hurried towards the workroom, anxious to finish their work in the time they were given until they had to take everything to the runway. As usual, it was never enough time.

Tim arrived soon after, ready to remind the designers of the schedule for the day. "Alright designers, You have five hours, but you have to take your models to hair and make up to get them properly ready for the runway. Style carefully and thoughtfully. And, that's it! I can't wait to see you on the show!"

"I did not sleep enough," Marinette appeared on the screen, "But I'm almost..." A yawn interrupted her and she covered her face with both arms as she waited it out. "...ready. But I think it will look okay." She frowned, "I don't think I'll win this one, to be honest, but it's still good. I definitely stand by it."

Hair and make-up were a flurry of instructions, but the artists were good and professional and soon the models were back in the workroom getting ready, with only thirty minutes until the runway show.

Adrien was currently fully dressed, his hair was casually tousled and Marinette was fussing with the coat, popping the collar up and then pressing it down as she tried to decide on the complete runway look. "I can't pick."

"Designers," Tim interrupted, as Marinette was holding a bag and a hat in her hands. "Time to go to the runway _now_ "

"Marinette," Adrien said, taking the hat from her hands, "You're overthinking things..."

"I know," she sighed, biting her lower lip anxiously. "I'm just nervous."

"Well, you won the last one." Adrien reminded her, patting her on the shoulder comfortingly. "You're safe... _relax."_

"Marinette..." Tim's voice cut right through their little moment and Marinette squeaked.

"Right!" she said, "Thanks!" she added, squeezing Adrien's forearm for a second in silent appreciation, before running behind the rest of the designers, ready for the show.

"That's it. I ship it." Alya said, still holding her phone in her hands.

Nino snorted, turning his attention towards Alya as the designers on the screen took their positions on the runway. "You've always shipped it. _We've_ always shipped it." Nino said, taking a sip of his drink as he watched Alya tweet something. "What is it now?"

"Hashtag. Adrienette." she told him, a devilish smile lighting up her face.

"What are you writing?"

"Only the truth babe, only the truth."

Nino reached for his own phone, looking for the tweet in question as fast as possible. His only answer to Alya was simply say: "Marinette will kill you."

The message was sent from Alya's personal account, which, considering her status as sole administrator of the Ladyblog and the fact that she usually posted several videos and news... well, let's just say, Alya had a lot of followers on her social media accounts. The tweet read:

 _Aren't DesignerMarinette and her model the cutest thing ever? #Adrinette, #IShipIt._

"Worth it." Alya said, "Might as well, since I'm already going to meme the hell out of her."

At the runway, Heloise did a dramatic entrance as required, standing in front of the designers who were already sitting and waiting for the show to begin.

Welcome to the runway," Heloise greeted them. "As you know, in fashion, one day you're in and one day… you're out. There are fifteen of you here, after this show, there will be fourteen."

"For today's challenge, you had to create a look based on Paris, bringing your own touch to what the city makes you feel. You had freedom to choose your materials, which means we're expecting a high quality show. Marinette, you have immunity for this challenge, which means you cannot be eliminated today."

Marinette nodded, a small smile on her face as the camera panned to her.

"Alright," Heloise continued. "Let's say hello to our judges. We have the creative director for Mode Magazine, Tatiana Geiger. Next to her, we have the creative director for S.E.L.F. Fashion, and famed designer, Thierry Leclère; and today's guest judge, famous actress, Arlette Botrel,"

"Hello," Arlette greeted the designers with a smile and a small wave.

Heloise continued, "We also have Tim Gunn, but as you know, since he's your mentor; he will not be judging you. That said, he will have one Tim Gunn Save. If at some point he disagrees with the judges, he can bring an eliminated designer back to the competition." She said, "We also have an anonymous runway. That means, that the judges don't know which designer created which look. Let's start the show!"

There were a couple of obvious show stoppers. Adrien's outfit looked great, the dark red t-shirt and blue pants mixing oddly well with the brown long coat, giving him an old Hollywood kind of appeal. Raoul's pink rococo dress was extremely well received by the judges. Same with Leo's dress. And just like there were showstoppers, there were obvious failures. Unfortunately, Daniel's outfit was seemingly not well received and Anaís outfit generated a clear frown from Heloise.

Finally, the designers were standing on the runway, waiting for the judges' words. Heloise spoke. "If I call your name. Please step forward."

"Noemie, Matilda, Rémi, Elisa, Claudette, Max, Alexander, Beaufort, Jean Philippe, and Angelina." The named designers stepped forward, and she continued, "Your scores have qualified you to move to the next round. You may leave the runway."

The group left, leaving five designers on the runway. There was a beat of silence before Heloise spoke up again. "Marinette. You are safe this week, but you were not one of the highest scores. The judges feel that your outfit looks well made, but it was lazy and uninspired. It feels like something that could have been bought out of any store and put together by any person here. It was far too simple, and that just won't cut it in the cutthroat world of fashion. But since you have immunity, you cannot be eliminated." Heloise waited for Marinette's acknowledgement. "You can leave the runway." She waited for Marinette to exit the stage before addressing the rest. "The rest of you. You are the two highest and lowest scores. Anaís, explain what happened."

Marinette stepped into the room, just minutes after the safe designers had exited the runway, causing a small uproar. "Oh my God!" Matilda exclaimed, "You're back already? What happened?"

The younger designer shrugged, her pale cheeks tinging red as she sat down quietly, looking dejected after being chastised on television. "They told me it was boring and uninspired. I'm safe because of immunity but... you know. It should have been better."

"Aww," Claudette patted Marinette's shoulder comfortingly, as the younger girl looked around, frowning as she settled in.

"It's okay," Marinette said, wrapping her arms around "I guess I can see their point. I still like how it looked, though."

There was a small shared look between Beauford and Claudette, but neither said anything. In the end, Remi spoke up, successfully changing the subject. "I think either Raoul or Leo are going to be the winners." Rémi spoke up, earning the agreement from everyone there.

"Anaís wasn't that bad though," Claudette commented, "Compared to Daniel's…"

Beaufort agreed. "Daniel's was just... not finished."

"I think the fabric thing really threw him off." Marinette pointed out. "He spent so much time trying to make it more original, that he really didn't get to finish what he wanted."

Elisa nodded, looking concerned. "I really didn't see we picked the same fabric."

"They did end up looking very different on the runway," Matilda said, "But we really need to not let this happen again, it's one of my worst case scenarios, along with coming up with the same concept."

It was then that the designers stepped back into the room. Between the four of them, there was a wide range of emotions. Raoul was beaming, Leo was serious but content and Anaís and Daniel were absolutely distraught.

"What happened?" Claudette asked, as Anaís sat between her and Marinette.

"I'm in the bottom two," Anaís said as her eyes swelled with tears, prompting both Marinette and Claudette to wrap their arms around the girl. "They said it looked like a Mime costume,"

Beaufort winced, but the look on his face clearly conceded the point.

"She'll be alright though." Daniel said, running a hand through his hair, "They said mine was trying to be several styles and failed to commit to any of them."

"Ouch." Marinette frowned. Judges didn't pull any punches.

"They loved Marie Antoinette," Raoul said, in a clear attempt to break up the bad mood; looking thoroughly pleased with himself as he leaned back on one of the seats.

"I did love the _ruffley_ peplum waist." Marinette pointed out. "It was a good look."

There was an echo of agreement around the room, and Raoul acknowledged her compliment with an elaborate hand wave, just as Tim Gunn appeared on the back room. "Designers, back to the Runway."

The commercial break was usually used to check social media, but since Marinette hadn't been on the top scores for this week, Alya had almost stopped paying much attention to the judging. "Mari's outfit was not boring!" Alya defended, barely containing the urge to throw popcorn at the television set. "You'd wear it, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Nino said, leaning back as Alya's legs fell onto his lap, as she got comfortable to watch the end of the show. "You know I'm really the worst option to be discussing technical stuff here, you know. But it looked good."

"Ooh, it's starting again. I really want that Leo to leave." Alya said, "He seems kind of... _dickish_."

"He barely talks." Nino said, "How can he be dickish?"

"Exactly." Alya said, "They've been pretty much living together. They should talk even a little."

Back at the show, the remaining designers were awaiting the results, and as required, Heloise took her time. "Daniel, Anaís, Raoul and Leo. You have the highest and lowest scores in this challenge. Raoul... your dress showed a great understanding of the challenge and you were able to use a style as difficult as Rococo and make it into something fresh and tasteful. Leo, you took the arches from Notre dame, and constructed a gorgeous cocktail dress. Leo, you're the winner of this challenge, this means you have immunity for the next one and cannot be eliminated.

"Anaís, your outfit seemed more like a costume than an actual outfit... but you're in. you may leave the runway.

I'm sorry Daniel that means you're out." Heloise stood up from her seat and walked towards the eliminated designer, "Au revoir."

Daniel walked off stage and back into the backroom, where he was hugged by all the designers and Tim, before he was sent to clean his work space.

"Aww, I feel bad for him." Nino said, as they watched the designer's final walk out of the show. "It was just shitty luck. I hope something like that doesn't happen to Marinette." Because it was one thing to be eliminated because of bad work, but luck played a big factor on these competitions. "Though she's usually pretty lucky."

Alya wasn't listening, since she'd stopped paying attention after Leo had been declared the winner. "Oh my God!" Alya almost screamed as she reached for Nino's arm.

"What?" he answered, as he carefully untangled his arm from her death grip.

The only thing Alya did in response was hold her phone up to his face.

 _#Adrienette_ was a trending topic.


End file.
